Raised in a matriarchal household in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Cynthia Moyo learnt early on that femininity and leadership are not mutually exclusive.
Without a father figure in the home, there was no void–only the commanding presence of her mother, who ran the household with strength, dignity and grace.
That foundation shaped Moyo’s lifelong belief in the power of women leading change, including her view about men, whom she considers as allies rather than adversaries. Today, driven by a passion for ethical, inclusive change, Cynthia is a campaigner for climate justice.
Her advocacy isn’t targeted at the toxic legacy of coal alone but also at Africa’s transition into clean energy through innovative community-led solutions. She bridges grassroots activism and policy, demanding that those most affected shape the continent’s environmental future.
In 2011, after her marriage to her South African husband, Moyo moved to Gauteng, a gold-rich province on the northeastern part of South Africa.
Starting out as a volunteer with Greenpeace Africa in the coal-dense region of Mpumalanga, she deepened her commitment to a full-time commitment to environmental justice in Over the past eight years, she has emerged as a powerful voice in the continent’s growing climate movement.
Her campaigns are driven by the harrowing realities of Mpumalanga communities grappling with coal dust and its associated respiratory diseases.
Home to 12 coal-fired power stations and numerous coal mines, Mpumalanga is one of the most polluted regions in the world. Air quality regularly exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) limits. Respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death have become common health concerns among residents.
South Africa’s Sasol plant in Secunda worsens the crisis. “Coal provides jobs. But at what cost?”
The tension between economic reliance and environmental harm is central to Moyo’s work. Rather than an abrupt end to fossil fuels, she pushes for a gradual shift, without abandoning the communities that depend on them.
“So, being an advocate–or doing advocacy in this space – requires a very careful balance,” she notes. “That means that you need to offer viable and inclusive alternatives that are going to prioritise livelihoods but also ensure that there is a just energy transition.”
Her activism resonates well beyond South Africa. She has embarked on cross-border campaigns against oil spillage and illegal fishing in Nigeria and Ghana, respectively.
“We are empowering communities to take leadership in sustainable resource management,” she says.
Moyo helped shape a climate report published by Greenpeace Africa in 2024, which earned widespread public appeal. So impactful were the findings that the South African Parliament requested a presentation. That signalled a huge triumph for her.
“We go into the communities, and we co-create campaigns with the communities,” she explains. “This is how we deal with the corrupt, with the corrupt systems or with the corrupt governments.”
Her understanding of climate justice is both scientific and social. As a participant at the Oxford Climate Change Fellowship. She gained academic knowledge to complement her lived experiences.
“I was already coming in with community knowledge,” she explains. The fusion of theory and practice strengthened her voice, making her advocacy sharper and more informed.
Moyo has faced resistance from powerful stakeholders and systemic exclusion of vulnerable voices. Yet, her biggest inspiration remains the resilience of the communities in Mpumalanga, standing up against injustice. This fuels her resolve.
Globally, an estimated 2.1 billion people remain exposed to household air pollution from burning wood, dung, kerosene and coal. In 2016 alone, air pollution was linked to the deaths of 600,000 children worldwide. In Africa, where industrial pollution collides with poverty and weak regulation, the stakes are especially high.
While she recognises the limits of individual action in the face of systemic inadequacies, she argues for African ownership of green technologies and investment in capacity.
“We don’t want to have people coming from outside of Africa to install our panels. This is something that we want Africans to do,” she emphasises.
Moyo’s vision is expansive. “Africa is not a passive victim of climate change but an active leader in seeking solutions. Therefore, my vision is for a united Africa where local climate justice movements are interconnected and they are also amplified on the global stage.”
Cynthia Moyo, raised in a matriarchal household in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, grew up believing in the power of women in leadership. With the absence of a father, her mother's strong presence cemented Moyo's lifelong commitment to ethical and inclusive change. This belief extends to her climate justice advocacy, where she pushes for a gradual transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Moyo's activism, rooted in her experiences living in coal-dense Mpumalanga, South Africa, focuses on community-led environmental solutions. Her work emphasizes empowerment, advocating for Africa's ownership of green technologies to mitigate the environmental impact of coal and industrial pollution.
Despite facing resistance, particularly from systemic exclusion and powerful stakeholders, Moyo's efforts have led to significant achievements, such as contributing to a climate report for Greenpeace Africa that garnered attention from the South African Parliament. Her approach merges grassroots activism with scientific and academic insights, highlighting the importance of co-creating campaigns with local communities. On a broader scale, Moyo envisions a united Africa leading the charge against climate change, advocating for interconnected local climate movements to have a global impact.
